William G. Johnson Interim Director — Atomic Testing Museum and Associate Research Professor, Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences Email: Bill.Johnson@dri.edu

Education

Professional Interests

Dr. Johnson has over 20 years of experience in archaeology. Currently, his focus is on digitizing cultural resources management projects at the Nevada Test Site in a GIS format. From the earliest cultural remains to the very recent past, his work documents archaeological and historical sites within their cultural context. At the Nevada Test Site, he and his colleagues promote recognition of the archaeological significance of the buildings and objects associated with the Atomic Age. A co-authored article on this work appeared in the May/June 1995 issue of Archaeology Magazine. He has been featured in US News and World Report, Preservation, Today (University of Florida's Alumni Magazine), and other popular periodicals and newspapers. A one-half hour episode of the Learning Channel's Archaeology series titled Return to Ground Zero featured his research.

His experience spans the North American continent with fieldwork in the Southeastern U.S., Great Basin, and Alaska. He has taught courses on Prehistory of the Americas, Introduction to Archaeology, and Introduction to Anthropology for undergraduates. Dr. Johnson became a faculty member of the Institute shortly after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Florida.

He is active in numerous archaeological/historic preservation organizations. In Nevada, he served as President of the Nevada Archaeological Association for two years and was instrumental in targeting all public and private schools, libraries, museums, and elected officials for Nevada's archaeological awareness/historic preservation week posters and brochures. Dr. Johnson is also a member of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) and serves as president for the SAA’s Council of Affiliated Societies. He maintains membership in the Register of Professional Archaeologists, Archaeo-Nevada, and the Florida Archaeological Council. Most recently, Dr. Johnson was appointed as Interim Director for the Atomic Testing Museum.

The Atomic Testing Museum (ATM), a program of the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, occupies the first floor of DRI's Frank H. Rogers Science and Technology Building. The museum opened its 2,000 square foot exhibit hall and the ATM Store in October of 2003. The 8,000 square foot permanent exhibits are scheduled for completion in the latter part of 2004. As director of the ATM, Bill is responsible for the collections of the museum and the programs it produces. He reports to the NTS Historical Foundation's Executive Committee which, in turn, reports to the Museum's Board of Trustees, comprised of 40 individuals from all walks of life who share some experience of and passion for the history of the Nevada Test Site. In addition, he maintains his reporting requirements through DRI.

Research Areas

Selected Publications

Johnson, W.G., 2002:

Review of Origins of the Nevada Test Site by Terrence R. Fehner and F.G. Gosling (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Energy, History Division, 2000). Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, in press.

Schofield, J., W.G. Johnson, and C.M. Beck, 2002:

Materiel Culture: The Archaeology of Twentieth Century Conflict. Routledge Press, London.

Schofield, J., W.G. Johnson, and C.M. Beck, 2002:

Introduction: Materiel Culture in the Modern World. In: J. Schofield, W.G. Johnson, and C.M. Beck (Eds.), Materiel Culture: The Archaeology of Twentieth Century Conflict. Routledge Press, London.

Johnson, W.G., 2002:

Archaeological Examination of Cold War Architecture: A Reactionary Cultural Response to the Threat of Nuclear War. In: J. Schofield, W.G. Johnson, and C.M. Beck (Eds.), Materiel Culture: The Archaeology of Twentieth Century Conflict, pp. 227-235. Routledge Press, London.

Johnson, W.G., and S.R. Edwards, 2000:

Survival Town: The Apple II Historic District, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada. Desert Research Institute, Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences Cultural Resources Technical Report No. 99, Las Vegas.

Johnson, W.G., B. A. Holz, and R. Jones, 2000:

A Cold War Battlefield: Frenchman Flat Historic District, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada. Desert Research Institute, Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences Cultural Resources Technical Report No. 97, Las Vegas.

Johnson, W. G., 1999:

NTS Cold War Historic Properties. News Nob 2(3):6.

Johnson, W.G. 1998a:

Belle Glade Culture. In Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America: An Encyclopedia edited by G. Gibbon, pp. 60-62, Garland Publishing, New York.

Johnson, W.G. 1998b:

Fort Center. In Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America: An Encyclopedia edited by G. Gibbon, pp. 291-293, Garland Publishing, New York.

Johnson, W.G., and C.M. Beck, 1998:

Nevada Test Site. In Monuments of War edited by J. Schofield, p. 20. English Heritage, London.

Johnson, W.G., Goldenberg, N.G., and Edwards, S.R. 1997:

The Japanese Village at the Nevada Test Site: A Relic of Nuclear War. CRM 20(14):21-22.

Johnson, W.G., 1996:

A Belle Glade Earthwork Typology and Chronology. The Florida Anthropologist 49(4): 249-260.

Johnson, W.G and Beck, C.M., 1995:

Proving Ground of the Nuclear Age. Archaeology Magazine 48(3):42-49.

Johnson, W.G., 1994:

Early Aerial Photography: A Remote Sensing Technique used to Detect Prehistoric Earthworks in the Kissimmee River Basin. The Florida Anthropologist 47(3):269-279.

DEES Faculty List

Search DRI People